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Wednesday, June 30, 2010

There are 10 huge lies Christians believe about evangelism. We have each believed some or all of these at some point - but you never have to again.

Lie #1 is that you must have the gift of evangelism in order to share. We would never say you must have the gift of hospitality in order to be hospitable, the gift of giving to give or the gift of encouragement to encourage. Some will have the gift of evangelism but Jesus tells us, in Mt.4:19, if you follow Him you’re called to evangelism!

Lie #2 says your personality, looks, style, actions and such validate the gospel and make it relevant. As a result many don’t share because they feel they aren’t good enough Christians and others don’t share because they don’t think they have all the answers. You never will! Do your best and then trust Him with the rest, taking a step of faith. 1 Cor.1:27 says God chooses the foolish and weak things to glorify Him.

Lie #3 claims you must be friends first. There are few places in scripture where anyone befriended someone before sharing with them. Mt.28:18-20 - Jesus called us to reach the whole world...imagine how long it would take to befriend the entire world before sharing with them. I should be friendly but also open to sharing with anyone God puts in my path. Lie #3 can also be stated with the phrase "they don’t care how much you know till they know how much you care." They need both!!! Love them and share with them. How loving is it to not share the Good News (click here to watch a great video about that point)?

Lie #4 is that you must earn the right to be heard. Jesus did that 2000 years ago and claimed to have all the authority to command us to share (Mt.28:18-20) .

Lie #5 says it is predominantly the poor we should reach out to. Remember Mt.19:23-24 - The rich are lost too!!! The poor are without question close to God's heart and we should do everything we can to help them but that is a different issue than evangelism. The poor and the rich alike are lost without Jesus and we should strive to share the Good News with them all.

Lie #6 is that we can't offend anyone. Jesus promised, in Mt.10:22, that men would hate you because of Him and 2 Cor.2:16 says we will be disgusting to some, but life to others! Share in a loving and truthful way and then trust the results to God. Like Gregory Koukl writes in Tactics, "Jesus' teaching made some people furious. Just make sure it's your ideas that offend and not you, that your beliefs cause the dispute and not your behavior."

Lie # 7 claims methods are what produce results. Jesus said, in Mt.13:1-9, it was the seed sown that was the most important aspect (He is the one who produces results 1 Cor.3:7)!!!

Lie #8 is a misquote of St. Francis of Assisi - “Preach always, use words if necessary.” The lie that good works are evangelism is a bad one but very popular today. Good works are good and God tells us to do them but they are different than evangelism. There are "good" Mormons, Bhuddists and atheists - good works don’t give people the way to eternal life. Words are necessary - I must share the Good News and live as an example of the Good News! We must do both. Rom.10:13-14 clarifies the need for words, saying, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"

Lie #9 is the misconception that older people are stuck in their ways and won’t trust Christ. On the contrary, dreams forgotten and relationships broken, many have never been more desperate. Jesus is drawing every person (Jn.12:32-33); that even includes the elderly!!!

Lie #10 says the gospel is unattractive, repulsive and people don’t want to hear it. Mt.9:36-37 tells us, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” God is working in their hearts! Rom.1:16 states, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.”

I need to believe the truth about the Good News and not these cultural lies and I need to join God as a worker in His ripe harvest. Mt.12:34 says “...out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” The more I love God the more I won’t be able to keep from talking about Him. If I’m not sharing the Good News I have to evaluate where my heart is at. I need to “demystify” the Good News and develop a natural lifestyle of being open about what I love most, sharing God’s love and plan of salvation with those around me.

Welcome to eternityimpact

This blog is a place for encouragement, ideas & stories about fulfilling the Great Commission through intentional evangelism (including apologetics), committed discipleship & leadership development. Enjoy!